Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports New York Mets closer David Robertson has been traded to the Miami Marlins. Robertson had been warming to pitch, but due to the impending trade, Brooks Raley would get and convert the save opportunity.
As reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets did not retain any salary in the trade.
The two prospects the Mets received from the Marlins were INF Marco Vargas and C Ronald Hernandez. Both players are currently playing in the Rookie Leagues.
Vargas, 18, has played 33 games in the Florida Complex League and is hitting .283/.457/.442 with 11 doubles, one triple, two homers, and 19 RBI. He has predominantly played SS this season with him playing more third base in 2022.
As noted by JJ Cooper of Baseball America, the outlet is in the process of updating their rankings to account for the June draft. As Cooper noted, before the trade, Vargas was going to fall in the 8-15 range in the Mets system after being the Marlins 14th ranked prospect.
Per MLB Pipeline, “Vargas is an extremely advanced hitter for his age, showing the ability to recognize pitches, control the strike zone and employ the opposite field.” While he’s been playing short, the expectation is he will be a second baseman in the long term.
Hernandez, 19, has played 31 games in the Florida Complex League. It’s his second straight season at this level. He’s hitting .298/.464/.452 with five doubles, one triple, three homers, and 25 RBI.
The switch-hitter was rated as the Marlins 21st best prospect by MLB Pipeline saying “While he hasn’t posted big offensive numbers, Hernandez has a sound swing from both sides of the plate and makes consistent contact to all fields.”
The expectation is Hernandez will stay behind the plate in the long term. He’s shown a propensity for blocking balls, has a good arm, and displays leadership potential. Notably, he’s bilingual.
As noted by Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline, Vargas will be ranked as the Mets sixth best prospect. Hernandez will be ranked as the Mets 18th best prospect.
At the moment, both prospects are seen as high ceiling prospects. The Mets farm system is better now that they’re aboard. It’s now incumbent on the Mets player development to help these players reach that ceiling.
